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Drama in Some Series, Not in Others, As 2024 NCAA Regionals Conclude

One of the most dramatic moments of this weekend's regional play occurred in Sunday's second game between Baylor and No. 13 seed Louisiana-Lafayette. The Bears had shut out the Ragin' Cajuns 8-0 on Saturday, but ULL returned the favor (and then some) with a 13-0 blanking of Baylor in Sunday's early game. That necessitated an additional, winner-take-all, game between the teams to advance to the super-regionals. 

In this final game, Baylor held a 4-3 lead as ULL came up to bat in the bottom of the seventh. With two outs, the Ragin' Cajuns drew a walk. This created a situation known as a "Golden Pitch," where on any of the upcoming pitches, either team conceivably could win the regional. If ULL could hit a homer on the next pitch, it would win the game 5-4 and thus the regional. However, if Baylor could record an out on the next pitch, it would win the game 4-3 and the regional.* Other scenarios (e.g., a ULL walk or hit other than a home run) would keep the game going, but the potential for either team to win on a Golden Pitch was there. As it happened, Baylor got the third out on a grounder to third and won the regional (video).

The Liberty-Georgia winner-take-all finale also featured a Golden Pitch scenario. The Flames led the Bulldogs 2-1 as UGA came up in the bottom of the seventh. With one out, the Bulldogs got a single. This created a Golden Pitch possibility, as Georgia could have won with a two-run homer, whereas Liberty could have won with a double-play (unlikely, but conceivable). The game did not end on this Golden Pitch, with UGA bunting the runner to second and recording the second out at first. A different Golden Pitch scenario emerged, as the Bulldogs again could have won with a two-run homer and Liberty could have won with a game-ending out.

Georgia's Dallis Goodnight then singled up the middle, tying the game 2-2 (video). Goodnight took second on the throw home. At this point, a Golden Pitch situation no longer existed, as only Georgia could win on any of the next pitches; with the score now tied, getting the third out would not have won Liberty the game. Georgia's Sydney Chambley then sent a deep drive to the wall in center, ending the game in a 3-2 Bulldog victory (video).

No. 7 Missouri edged Nebraska-Omaha in their deciding game, 1-0, on a two-out single up-the-middle that the Maverick shortstop just couldn't quite get to (video). There wasn't a Golden Pitch opportunity, but it was very exciting nonetheless.

Other regionals weren't that competitive. All the teams advancing to the super-regionals are listed below.

TEAMS THAT WENT THROUGH THEIR REGIONALS UNDEFEATED (seed)

Texas (1)

Oklahoma (2)

Tennessee (3), no runs allowed!

Florida (4)

Oklahoma State (5)

UCLA (6)

LSU (9)

Duke (10)

Alabama (14)

Florida State (15)

Texas A&M (16)

Arizona (unseeded)

TEAMS THAT WON THEIR REGIONALS WITH ONE LOSS (seed)

Missouri (7)

Stanford (8)

Georgia (11)

Baylor (unseeded)

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*The original definition specified that a Golden Pitch was one on which either team could win the MLB World Series, but the general idea of either team being able to win on the next pitch holds for other types of competition, as well.

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